You Will Stay Safe if You Stay With Me
by BlueEyedWallflower94
Summary: Just my own little version of Arya and Gendry s adventures with the Brotherhood Without Banners. Not that George R.R. Martin s story wasn t amazing. Just my own dream version.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first time doing this and I do not plan on doing it again. I am such a fan of George R.R. Martin and his writing. I love the Fire and Ice books but I could never get enough of Arya. I love her so much and I think she is such an amazingly well written character and I just wanted to do my own little version of her tale. So comment I guess and let me know how I did. **

Arya watched from the cold hard ground as the Beric let Sandor Cligane simply be led away to freedom. Her heart was racing after the sword fight that had just occurred in front of her and all the rest of the brotherhood. She was sure Beric was going to run his fire sword right through the Hound`s face. She was sure he was finally going to be brought to justice for what he had done to Mycha and she had been so ready for it. Until the Hound put his sword half way into Beric`s shoulder.

What once was adrenaline that had compelled her to draw her sword and charge the Hound until she was stopped by Gendry who used his large body and muscles to take her flailing body to the ground, was now just anger and furry. She tried to breath to keep from crying in anger. Gendry still had his arms around her waist with his body half lying on hers in his attempt to keep her still. Suddenly she became uncomfortable as she realized that the men were starting to stare at them.

"Get off me" she choked trying to sound serious and mean and not hurt and disappointed like she really was.

She wriggled under Gendry but it was no use he was to strong and he held her down easily.

"Stop it Arya! I will let you up when he is away from here." He squeezed her small frame closer into his broad strong upper body. Arya knew there was no point in fighting him she would not be able to escape.

"Take her out of here boy." Thoros told Gendry as he stood over them his tunic covered in Lord Beric`s blood.

"Stay with her to make sure she doesn`t run off. "

Gendry got up and pulled Arya to her feet. He took her by the hand and let her out of the cave. Once they were outside she pulled her hand from his in anger.

"I am not a child" she snapped at him as he led her back to the make shift sleeping area he had made.

"Could have fooled me the way you just acted." He glared at her over his shoulder. "Charging him like that. Going to avenge your dead friend with the Hounds sword through you are you.

"I could have killed him had you stayed out of it."

Gendry stopped and spun on his heels to look down at her. His usually bright blue eyes were a dangerous dark blue now and he had never as long as Arya had known him looked so serious.  
"You are not a stupid girl. We both know that, you don`t stand a chance against him as long as he is armed and awake. If it hadn`t been for me getting in the way," he said in a mocking tone "I would have been packing your dead little corpse from that cave. You want revenge fine, but make sure if you`re going to do it you get you live to tell about it, or at least wait until I am no longer around." His chest was heaving up and down from his angry deep breaths. Arya tried to find the words to argue back but for once she could think of nothing to say.

Gendry pointed to the pile of furs underneath a large boulder that jutted out from the rock face.

"Build a fire and stay here" He looked at her with such an intense stare that for a moment Arya was intimidated by him, but the feeling quickly faded as he turned to walk toward the large group of tents.

"Why do you think you can just tell me what to do? If I want to go I will go!"

"Damn it Arya Please!" He shouted at her. It surprised her but she didn`t let him see that.

Gendry turned again and stormed off into the trees.

Arya slammed herself down on one of the piles of furs and began to build a small fire. The sun was gone almost completely and the night was setting in. The nights were getting to be almost unbearably cold these days. Arya was leaning against the rock wall with her furs wrapped around her when one of the brothers came to her carrying a plate of beans and some deer meat from the large doe one of them had killed that day.

"Here girl. You need to eat. You are going to need your strength if you are going to make this whole journey."

He set the food down on the ground next to her. He stood again and began to walk away before he paused and turned back around.

Where is your blacksmith?"

"He isn`t my blacksmith and how should I know?" She spat. She could hear the rudeness and the cruelty in her voice but she could not stop it.

"Just seems odd is all. That boy of yours is never more than four feet from ya."

"Stop calling him mine or I swear to you I will slice your throat."

The man smiled at her before walking away.

"My blacksmith, my boy, he isn`t mine you ignorant twat." Arya said quietly to herself when the man was safely out of ear shot.

She curled up under her furs and watched the flames dance around before her.

"I wonder where he is."

She thought to herself. She didn`t know why she was concerned about it she was sure he was fine but it wasn`t like Gendry to be gone this long.

"Who cares?" She said quietly she knew he could take care of himself. Arya closed her eyes and recited her list of names before letting her eye lids get heavy and finally letting sleep take her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well here is my second chapter, hopefully you guys like it and thanks for the awesome reviews. Let me know what you think of this one. Chapter 3 will be up soon.**

**Chapter 2**

She was riding on the back of the wolf leaping over logs and debris in the ruins that were once Kings Landing. She could see Cersei leaning over her son Joffery`s dead body she kicked the wolf in the side and it began to run even faster. Arya unsheathed Needle and as they drew in on top of Cerei she made one quick swing with Needle and her head came rolling off of her shoulders. The wolf began to panic and fuss. Arya had to grasp her fur tightly with both hands to keep from getting thrown off. She took her eyes off of the beautiful sight that was Cersei Lannister`s head rolling in the blood soaked dirt and looked up to see what had the wolf in such a panic. Coming at them from the Ocean was a black wall of what seemed to be smoke. Arya screamed commands and pulled desperately at the creatures fur in a desperate attempt to get her wolf to turn around, but it refused to listen to her the wolf would not move, it had frozen in fear. She knew she should run for her life, she should get off the creature but she could not. She was frozen to the frozen wolfs back. Before she could think the black smoke wall washed over them and Arya couldn`t breathe. All of the warmth in her body was sucked out of her. She began to shiver violently and tried desperately to scream but no sound came out. Suddenly she heard someone saying her name.  
Arya! Arya!

She looked around but all she could see was black. The voice sounded so familiar. She spun in circles shivering looking everywhere frantically the cold was taking over her body, she couldn`t think or breath when suddenly.

Arya! Someone had her shoulder. She spun around to look and…. "Arya!"

Arya opened her eyes to see Gendry`s ice blue ones staring back her.

"What are you doing?" She asked groggily.

Gendry was throwing his fur over her as well as himself as he slid in behind her. Arya froze.

"Gendry wha.."

He cut her off.

"You were shivering so hard that your teeth were chattering. You need to stay warm and this is the easiest way to do that." He said as he put an arm over her and pulled her in closer.

Arya wiggled to get free of him.

"You aren`t sleeping with me!"

She turned just in time to see Gendry`s face flush red.

"I`m not sleeping with you stupid! I am sleeping next to you to keep you warm but if you want to freeze. I am not in the mood to fight with you!" He got up and walked to the other side of the fire throwing himself down on the hard ground leaving his furs laying across Arya.

Arya stared at him across the fire. He had his back to her. For some reason she had a guilty feeling in her stomach.

"I don't want your furs" She got up and packed it over to him dropping it on top of him.

She turned to make her way back to her own bed when he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down on her stomach. She kicked and fought against him but as always he was to strong. He drug her into him and held her still with one arm.

"I hate you. You stupid bastard" she spat at him when she finally gave up resisting.

"Be my guest. I will keep you from freezing to death so that you can keep hating me."

Arya laid still fuming thinking of how easy it would be to kill him. She knew she would never do that though. He was the only friend she had, the only one she actually trusted and she couldn`t afford to lose the only person she had left in the world.

Eventually Gendry adjusted and removed his arm from around her. Arya had a brief thought of moving away from him but she was warm and didn`t feel like fighting with him again if he were to wake up. So instead she rolled onto her side with her back to him and scooted close to him. He was like the sun the way his body radiated heat.

"That's why he is blacksmith" she thought silently to herself. "He is immune to the scorching heat."

Arya heard footsteps coming toward them and snapped her eyes shut keeping her ears open.

She could hear Thoros but she could not make out what he was saying as they got closer she heard another voice reply to the unheard question,

"We could use him, we need a good blacksmith and as for that the boy isn`t going to leave us and she won`t leave without him." The other man sounded to be the Baric

"It aint right the way he looks at her. She is just a girl. He`s been a man since his tenth year"

She heard could hear Thoros say. They had stopped walking and were standing just a few feet away from Arya now who was pretending to sleep.

"He protects her, Beric said. "He knows who she is and he knows nothing can happen between them. He is a smart boy for being a blacksmith apprentice, but even then we don`t choose who we love. If he wants to love the girl let him. It is the only happiness that boy will probably ever know. Beside she is no little girl. She would kill the first man that tried to take him from her."

"Of course I would but the doesn't mean Gendry loves me you fools. I am all he has and he is a protector, a survivor that's why he and I are so close. So why don`t you shut your cunt mouths!" She was shouting at them in her mind as she listened to their footsteps disappear.

Arya sat up on her elbow to look at Gendry to be sure he was still asleep. He seemed to be, his large chest rising and falling while his ice blue eyes were covered by his heavy eyelids.

She had hoped he was asleep the things she had just heard had made her rather irritated and a little uncomfortable she didn`t wish to have to discuss it with Gendry but as he seemed to be asleep she laid back and closed her eyes yawning.

"Gendry loving me? What a stupid thing to say." She said quietly to herself.

She wanted to forget what she had heard, she wanted to return to her dream land, where Jofferey and Cersie were dead. Where she was a warrior on the back of a wolf. When she did finally fall asleep though her dreams were not of killing or of wars or wolfs. It was of the smithy in Winterfell. She was watching Gendry hammer out the imperfections in the silver metal. She didn`t say a word or move a muscle she just watched. She watched as he put the hammer down and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. He stood up straight and lifted the shield to study it. When he had looked it over to his satisfaction he smiled and turned to her. His eyes were like stars in their sockets and his smile was blinding. Arya couldn`t help but feel the smile stretch across her face. Gendry lifted the shield up so that Arya could see it properly. Engraved in it was a dire wolf head with her father`s sword Ice below it.

Gendry stepped forward and laid it down beside her. She couldn`t breathe it was beautiful. She reached her hand out to touch it, she ran her fingers across it feeling the warm metal.

"As long as you stay with me you will stay safe, but if for some reason you ever lose me this will keep you safe."

Arya looked up into his brilliant blue eyes.

"I won`t lose you" she said quietly

She reached a hand out shakily to touch his bare chest and his skin scalded her finger tips, she let out a small squeal and she was awake. Lying on the hard ground next to Gendry.


	3. Chapter 3

**So I realize this may not be where you all thought this was going to be honest I can`t sleep so I decided to try and get a few more chapters done so hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone but let me know either way how I am doing.**

**Chapter 3 **

Arya sat up blinking making her eyes adjust to the sunlight. She sat up slowly rubbing her sore neck muscles. The rest of her body had grown accustomed to sleeping on the hard ground but her neck never did, she always woke barely able to turn her head and this morning was no exception. As she rubbed her neck she realized that her fingers were still tingling from her dream. The sudden remembrance of her dream made her turn her head quickly to look at Gendry`s sleeping body next to her. The sudden movement cause her to cry out in pain as the shock of pain went through her spine and neck into her skull. Gendry`s eyes flew open and he sat up looking at her with concern.

"What is it?" His voice was thick with sleep and his eyes were red and puffy like he hadn`t slept at all that night.

"Nothing I just slept wrong and kinked my neck I`m fine."

Gendry`s body relaxed and he laid back down staring up at the large boulder above them.

"So you slept here all night. I`m surprised. I figured I would wake up to you gone with both the furs and my clothes."

"You`re stupid, why would I do that? Why would I go to that much trouble just to let you freeze to death? If I wanted you dead I would just kill you."

Gendry just shook his head and got to his feet, rolling up one of the furs.

"Did you stay warm?"

Arya glared at him over her shoulder.

"Yes, but I swear if you ever grab me like that again…"

"You will kill me, or cripple me, or cut off my cock." Gendry finished for her.

Arya rolled her eyes and started for the cave where Beric and Thoros would be.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Gendry shouted after her. Arya turned around and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look I don`t ask you where you disappear to do I! No I don`t so if you don`t mind I don`t need you concerning yourself with my every move all the time. People are starting to say things about us, and I don`t appreciate it so back off!"

Arya turned and stormed off into the cave leaving standing there with a look of confusion and embarrassment on his face.

"Stupid Bull" she whispered. It didn`t take long before she felt the guilt set in. She shouldn`t have shouted at him that way. He is only watching out for me, but I can take care of myself. And because of him the brotherhood think they were in love or something. Not that what the brotherhood thought of her mattered but still, it was his fault they had those thoughts. The memory of last night what Thoros and Beric had said came back to her and just made her angrier. She would apologize to Gendry later, now she had to speak with Beric. As she entered the large opening in the back of the cave there was Beric and Thoros sitting in the center of the opening on a large stone slab talking in hushed tones. When Arya entered they both looked up at her.

"Ah little wolf, good morning. I trust you and your blacksmith stayed warm last night."

Arya glared at him and tried to suppress the urge to leap onto him and finish what the hound had started when he sliced into Beric`s shoulder.

"When are we leaving?" She asked in a cold tone.

"We will wait until this rain lets up."

"That could be days." Arya said in an irritated tone.

"Yes or it could be hours it all just depends. We will reach our destination all the same little wolf don`t you worry." Thoros smiled at her.

Arya shook her head at the men.

"So we are going to sit here and wait to be found by an enemy, brilliant why in the seven hells didn`t I think of that myself?"

She was so annoyed she could barely see straight as she made her way back to the rock cove. Gendry was gone by the time she got there. He had joined the other brothers around the fire where breakfast was being cooked she assumed. All of them were there yelling and laughing and carrying on like boys.  
"What is going on?" Arya said out loud as she made her way over to find out.

The men stood in a tight circle so she had to squeeze between two men to see what the commotion was about. Once she was inside the circle her eyes scanned all of the faces looking for Gendry`s but she didn`t see it. But before she could even begin to wonder where he was the circle opened and Gendry was pushed into the middle by a brother with a long red beard and one ear. The brother pushed him forward and thumped him on the back.

"Here you go my boy welcome to the brotherhood better enjoy this while you can she is the only woman you`ll be seeing for a while!"

The men all laughed and jeered and cheered for Gendry. Arya had no idea what was happening until movement to the right of her caught her eye and she finally realized why they were cheering. A women with hair the color of fire and eyes as green as emeralds stood before them in what Arya supposed was meant to be a dress but it did not cover anything that normal dresses would cover.

"What is going on? Who is that?" Arya asked the man standing next to her.

She is a wench from the town we passed a few days ago. We found her stumbling through the woods last night. We can`t take her back and she can`t go with us but we figured she could help out your friend there with getting rid of that maiden head of his." The man laughed and slapped Arya on the shoulder.

Gendry stood in the middle of everyone frozen barely breathing looking at the woman as she made her way over to him.

"Come on Gen! Grab her she`s all yours!" The bearded man shouted at him.

Arya could feel the anger bubbling up inside of her. She did not know why and she felt stupid but she wanted nothing more at that moment than to stick Needle through that half naked woman who was now running her hands up Gendry`s stomach. Arya stared at the scene before her until his eyes caught hers. The woman was touching his shoulders and putting her mouth on his neck, but Gendry`s arms stayed glued to his side and his eyes fixed on Arya's. For a moment she wished she knew what he was thinking and then the woman`s mouth was his and his eyes closed in surprise. Arya couldn`t take anymore she turned and pushed her way back through the crowd of men that had gathered, to watch Gendry fuck some whore.  
"You pigs get the hell out of my way!" She shoved one of the men almost to ground. When she was free of them she broke into a run and made for the river. She had to get away from there before she did something she shouldn`t. The image of the whores mouth on Gendry`s replayed in her mind as she ran. She wasn`t sure what she was so angry about. Why should she care if he lets some whore touch him? "I don`t!" she thought to herself. "Then why am I so angry" she whispered as she continued to run deeper into the woods.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok so this chapter is going to be a little different. I decided to do this chapter from Gendry`s point of view and depending on if I enjoy writing like this and what you guys think I will probably do some random chapters like this. It is going to start off from the beginning after the trial by battle with the Hound. So here is the first half. I am going to split it into two chapters so enjoy.**

**Chapter 4**

Gendry could feel Arya shaking beside him as they watched the monster of a man with half a burned face battle Lord Beric. She was screaming at Beric to kill him to finish him. He had never seen her like this before, he wanted to grab her and make her leave but he knew better than to try that so he stood beside her watching as the battle went on and on, before finally the hound swung his sword down shattering Lord Beric`s flaming blade and buried his sword deep in Berics shoulder. Arya screamed curses at him as the hound began to roll around in the dirt trying to extinguish the flame that had engulfed his arm. Thoros ran to Berics side and began muttering above him. Gendry didn`t know what was going on, he was trying to see everything at once. The only noise was the screams coming from the Hound until Arya cried out and quicker than a cat pouncing on its prey she had unsheathed the sword of the man standing next to her and was running for the Hound. Usually Arya was too quick for Gendry but not this time. He had been expecting her to try something so when she charged the hound he was right behind her. He grabbed her around the waist with one arm and fought to drag her back before he ended up taking her to the ground. All the while she was fighting him clawing at his arm and kicking him. Screaming at the hound to burn in hell and to die. Arya was small but all of her rage made it difficult to hold her down. Gendry kept her his arm around her pulling her into him so tightly he was sure he would cut off her air, but she continued to scream until Berics voice rang through the cave. She stilled and Gendry`s eyes finally left the flailing girl that was now halfway beneath him and rose to see Beric standing there covered in his own blood.

"He will go to hell. Not today." Beric said coldly staring at Sandor Clegane who was still lying on the ground holding his burnt arm.

The Hound looked dumbstruck and Arya was shaking so violently it was making Gendry shake with her. Arya had stopped fighting him at this point but he didn`t dare loosen his grip on her. If she attacked the Hound he would watch her be hacked to pieces, and he wasn`t about to let that happen.

Some of the brothers helped The Hound to his feet.

"The God of Light has judged you Sandor Clegane and found you innocent on this day. You are free to leave." Lord Beric stepped aside as the Hound through a nasty look down at Arya and shoved his way through the crowd out of the cave.

Suddenly Arya was wriggling under him.

"Get off me" she snarled at him. It sounded as though she was fighting back tears.

"Stop it Arya!" Gendry held her down easily enough now and he caught her storm grey eyes with his own. "I will let you go when he is away from here." Gendry knew he was going to regret this later but right now he was keeping her safe. That was his only job to protect the girl. It had been his only job since the day he realized little Arry was no little boy. He knew she hated it but she would forget about it eventually she always did.

Arya stopped fighting him.  
She knows there is no point resisting me she isn`t nearly strong enough but she thought she could kill The Hound?! Maybe she wants to die. Gendry thought. The thought angered him that she would be so stupid and selfish.

The men in the cave were staring at the two of them Gendry noticed. He looked up and met Thoros gaze.

"Take her out of here boy, and stay with her to make sure she doesn`t run off."

Gendry got to his feet grabbing Arya by the arm hoisting her to her feet before he grabbed her hand and led her outside into to evening. As soon as they were out of the cave she had ripped her hand from his.

"I`m not a child." She spat as Gendry continued to walk toward the covered spot he had found for them to sleep.

He glared at her over his shoulder, "Could have fooled me the way you just acted. Charging him like that. Going to avenge your dead friend with the Hounds sword through you are you."

He turned his head and continued to walk but he could feel her eyes burning through the back of his head.

"I could have killed him had you stayed out of it."

That was the last he could take. Did she really think she would have been able to kill him?! He spun around to face her. He was trying to keep his breathing under control and not let his anger get the better of him but it wasn`t working as he started to speak.

"You are not a stupid girl. We both know that, you don`t stand a chance against him as long as he is armed and awake. If it hadn`t been for me getting in the way," he said in a mocking tone "I would have been packing your dead little corpse from that cave. You want revenge fine, but make sure if you`re going to do it you get you live to tell about it, or at least wait until I am no longer around."

He waited for the screaming to begin but for once she just stared at him. Momentarily speechless, but he knew it wouldn`t last long so he pointed at the place he had found for them to sleep. He had already laid there furs under the large rock that jutted out from rock wall.

"Build a fire and stay here." He growled at her. He was so angry with her for bringing out this side of him. He hated being angry with her. He stared at her with what he hoped was a serious glare before turning and starting toward the trees.

"Why do you think you can just tell me what to do? If I want to go I will go!" She shouted after him. Gendry was no longer in any mood to fight with her.

"Damn it Arya please!" he shouted at her with a quick glance back. She just stood there staring at him but he knew if he didn`t keep walking she would fight him until she won so he continued to make his way into the trees.

He walked until he could no longer hear the men from the camp. He hoped Arya had listened and stayed. He should have stayed with her but it would have only been a bigger fight if he had. Gendry was finally breathing normally and had calmed down when he came to a small opening in the trees. He stopped and closed his eyes letting the chill of the night cool him down. It was freezing but Gendry was covered in a layer of sweat.

"Why do I let her make me like this?" he thought to himself. "I should just go and let her be on her own, see how she likes that."

But he knew he wouldn`t do that, as strong willed and clever as she was she wanted a pack. She didn`t want to be alone. He saw the hurt in her eyes when Hot Pie had told them that he wasn`t going with them when they left with the brotherhood, and he had seen the panic she tried to hide when he told her he was considering staying with the brotherhood. He knew better than to even think he could live with himself if he left her. Gendry shook his head trying to clear his mind. He opened his eyes and scanned the growing darkness for something. Finally he spotted what he had been looking for. He made his way over to a long thick branch that was lying on the ground. He picked it up and held it with his right hand. Slowly he began to swing it at the tree in front of him. Trying to remember the way Arya swung Needle. The way Arya did it though it looked more like a dance than sword play he thought. He had watched her in Harenhal as she practiced with her secret sword, trying to memorize her every move. He practiced with the pretend sword until his arm was sore and there were marks all over the tree trunk. He had been doing this for weeks now and he was getting better. If he was truly going to protect the girl he needed to be sure she was not the only one that could use a sword. Finally it was getting to dark to see very far past the trees ahead of him.

"I should get back to her." Gendry thought to himself. He stopped. "To camp" he blurted out loud. "I should get back to camp." He felt his guts twist at the accidental slip he had made and felt his cheeks burn red even though no one else was around or could have heard his thoughts for that matter. He continued to walk through the darkness until he could hear the men again. When he returned to camp a large group of the brothers were sitting around a fire talking amongst themselves.

"Ah! Blacksmith there you are. We thought your little wolf cub had run you off." They all laughed at how clever they thought they were.

Gendry ignored them and continued on until he reached the rock covering. There was an untouched plate of food on the ground next to her shivering body. Gendry put the remaining pathetic pieces of wood on the small fire and crawled under the rock sitting next to her. Her small body was shivering so hard he was sure her muscles would ache in the morning, and her teeth were chattering hard enough to wake up people in the nearest town. She is going to freeze to death Gendry thought. I should lay with her to keep her warm. Why did he think that? A moment of panic set in while he continued to stare at her. He knew he should, it would keep her warm but the thought of laying with her made him uneasy for some reason. Finally after a few moments of going back and forth in his mind. He convinced himself it made him uncomfortable because he had never laid next to a woman before, but Arya was no woman and she was like his little sister. Gendry knew better than to believe he thought of her as his little sister but he knew he would not be able to sleep beside her if he let himself think of her as anything else and she needed to be warm. So quietly he grabbed his fur and crawled over to her. She was twitching along with shivering and her lips were parted as if she was trying to say something. Her eyes were darting around under her eyelids. She was having another nightmare he realized. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her gently "Arya"

After saying her name several more times her eyes finally opened and met his for a moment they just stared. Gendry finally broke the gaze he was uncomfortable being so close to her now so he threw the fur over her and tried covering himself, but he wasn`t quick enough she realized what he was doing and started pulling away from him.

"Gendry wha"

He cut her off hoping she would not fight him this time. "You were shivering so hard that your teeth were chattering. You need to stay warm and this is the easiest way to do that."

He through his arm over her and pulled him into her. She was like a block of ice her skin was so cold. For a brief second he thought she would just go back to sleep but that thought was short lived as she started trying to wriggle free of him.

"You aren`t sleeping with me." She said as she tried to get away from him.

Gendry burned hot with embarrassment, he wasn`t going to fight with her, not now after he had already calmed himself not while he was so tired.

"I`m not sleeping with you stupid! I am sleeping next to you to keep you warm but if you want to freeze. I am not in the mood to fight with you!" He spat and got up leaving her with his furs and walked doubled over to keep from smacking his head on the rock ceiling above, back to the other side of the fire and laid down with his back to her. He refused to look at her to let her see how red his face was because of what she had said.

"Let her freeze then." He thought.

He heard her shuffling around behind him before he heard her voice.  
"I don`t want your furs." She was above him and dropped them on top of him.

Before she could escape Gendry reached out and grabbed her pulling her to the ground, pulling her into him and holding her tightly against him while she fought him. He wasn`t going to let her escape and he knew soon she would stop fighting him because he was warm and she rarely fought him for long.  
"I hate you, you stupid bastard." She said without looking at him.

Gendry smiled down at the top of her head knowing that was the end of her fighting.  
"Be my guest. I will keep you from freezing to death so that you can keep hating me."

She laid still beside him and for the first time in a long time Gendry fell asleep comfortable.

He had only been asleep a few moments it seemed when he heard the voices. He had woken up but made sure to keep his eyes shut. He was lying on his back but he could still feel Arya`s small frame pressed up against him. She hadn`t moved away from him. He tried to keep from smiling at that realization as the voices were getting closer. He listened as he heard Thoros and Beric speaking as they stood a few feet away from them. He heard Lord Beric speak first.

"We could use him, we need a good blacksmith and as for that, the boy isn`t going to leave us and she won`t leave without him." They were talking about him and Arya he realized.

"It aint right the way he looks at her. She is just a girl. He`s been a man since his tenth year" Thoros said.

Gendry`s stomach flipped. What the hell did he mean the way he looked at her. He looked at her like a friend like a brother looks at his sister. He silently tried to convince himself.

"He protects her, Beric said quietly. "He knows who she is and he knows nothing can happen between them. He is a smart boy for being a blacksmith apprentice, but even then we don`t choose who we love. If he wants to love the girl let him. It is the only happiness that boy will probably ever know. Beside she is no little girl. She would kill the first man that tried to take him from her."

Gendry wanted to get up and leave. He knows who she is he knows nothing can happen. Why did he have to say that, actually Gendry had tried his best to forget that she was a highborn and that they were not equal, because he knew to her they were. She was not like any highborn anywhere else in the seven kingdoms. He prayed to the gods Arya was really asleep beside him. He prayed she could not hear what they were saying. He loved her as his only friend. He had made sure to not be too close to her so not to raise questions or suspicion form the other men. Apparently it hadn`t worked. He heard them walking away and he stopped holding his breath. He just laid there not moving hoping Arya was asleep but his gut sank when he felt her sit up. He could feel her eyes on him and he continued to pretend to be asleep. He must have convinced her because finally she laid back down beside him.

"Gendry loving me, what a stupid thing to say." He heard her whisper it to herself and he knew she had heard everything. Gendry kept his eyes closed trying to sleep but he couldn`t. The sick feeling in his stomach wasn`t going away this time. He just laid next to her pretending to sleep. Eventually he heard her making little noises, she always made them when she was soundly sleeping. He hoped she was having dreams of home, of her family he hoped that if only in her dreams she was happy at the moment. In the distance he could hear some of the other men shouting and laughing. "Don`t they ever sleep he thought" Finally they all were quiet and the only noises he heard were sounds of the forest and the Arya breathing beside him, and finally just as the sun was beginning to rise he fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Second half of the Gendry side of the story. I have decided to go further than where I left off with Arya in chapter 3 before I go back to her side of the story so hopefully it isn`t confusing or hard to follow. If so let me know. Also I read the reviews about Gendry`s pov being repetitive and I agree I hated rewriting everything but I wanted to make sure his actions and thoughts were brought to attention, but I will make sure from now on that he gets his own point of view but it will just continue with the story and not repeat what you have already read. Thanks for the love however you guys are great. **

**Chapter 5**

Gendry awoke the next morning as he usually did to Arya breathing heavily from her dreams. Her nightmares plagued her and she always woke up drenched in sweat and breathing heavily obviously shaken, but this morning was different. This morning she woke but did not jerk awake and he couldn`t feel her trembling like she did all of the other mornings. He waited for her to get up or move away from him but to his pleasant surprise Arya remained beside him. He felt her body tense followed by a gasp of pain and in a second he was sitting up beside her.

"What is it?" he asked trying his best not to sound too concerned.

"Nothing I just slept wrong and kinked my neck I`m fine."

"So you slept here all night. I`m surprised. I figured I would wake up to you gone with both the furs and my clothes." He let a little smile creep across his face.

"You`re stupid, why would I do that? Why would I go to that much trouble just to let you freeze to death? If I wanted you dead I would just kill you."

Gendry just shook his head and got to his feet, rolling up one of the furs.

"Did you stay warm?" He smiled up at her as he saw her glare at him.

"Yes, but I swear if you ever grab me like that again…"

"You will kill me, or cripple me, or cut off my cock." He was too accustomed to her threats to believe them anymore.

Arya rolled her eyes and started for the cave where the trial was the night before, and where he knew Beric and Thoros would be.

He felt his stomach drop. Why did she need to talk to them? She is going to speak to them about last night about what they said. No that meant they would speak to him about it, he didn`t want to speak about it. He wanted to pretend it never happened and that they were reading too far into what was between him and Arya.

"Oi! Where are you going?" He shouted after her, like he didn't know.

She spun around her eyes like daggers as they met his.

"Look I don`t ask you where you disappear to do I! No I don`t so if you don`t mind I don`t need you concerning yourself with my every move all the time. People are starting to say things about us, and I don`t appreciate it so back off!" She spun around and disappeared into the mouth of the cave and Gendry was sure he was going to be sick. He just stood there watching the spot where she had just been. He didn`t understand why she was so angry at him, and what had she meant by that? She was more than welcome to ask where he disappeared to.

"Boy! Hey Boy!"

It took Gendry a few seconds to realize that whoever was shouting was shouting at him. He turned around to see a large red bearded man making his way toward him.

The man stopped in front of him allowing Gendry to see the fact he was missing his left ear and that his eyes were a strange misty color with very little pupil. He hadn`t met this brother before.

"Are you deaf boy? I have been trying to find you all morning! Me names Rowan and I have something for you, follow me." A grin was stretched across his face as he nodded for Gendry to follow, him but Gendry didn`t move.

"Why?" He asked.

"You want to be a part of the Brotherhood don`t you? So the Brotherhood got you a little something. Now let`s go before one of the men spoils it before you get to enjoy it."

Rowan turned and walked away, Gendry looked back over his shoulder but Arya was still inside the cave. He would find out what she wanted to speak to Thoros and Beric about soon enough, so he followed the Rowan past his sleeping spot and toward the large group of men that was gathering around the fire. They made their way past the men and into the only tent the brotherhood had that they used to store their pathetic weapons cash.

Gendry looked around the tent confused.

"Alright so why am I here?"

The man smiled at Gendry, "We have heard that you have yet to lay with a woman. How does a strapping lad like you not have women falling all over you?!"

The man let out a deep hardy laugh and Gendry felt the blood drain from his face.

"Never had time too busy I guess, and most decent woman don`t hang around forges."

The man laughed again. "What kind of a man is too busy to enjoy a woman? Who cares if they are decent? A woman is a woman boy! But no matter we found something in the woods last night and we think it might be just perfect for you. Tell me how do you feel about fire haired women?" Rowan winked and grabbed Gendry by the shoulder leading him out of the tent.

Gendry tried to find words to argue with the man but his mouth had grown dry as he was being pushed toward the cheering brothers. Finally he found his voice and turned to face the man.

"Here? In front of everyone? No that isn`t right. Look I don`t want your whore get off."

Gendry tried to shrug away from the man but to no prevail. They reached the circle of brothers and several of them stepped aside for him as he was pushed into the middle. All of the men were cheering his name and yelling things at him. His eyes looked around praying that he wouldn`t find Arya but of course she was there, with a confused look on her face. He just stared at her as she looked around and traded words with the man next to her. He was forced to tear his eyes from Arya`s face when he saw the movement of red in front of him.  
The woman had hair like fire and even from where he stood he could see just how green her eyes were. He didn`t let his eyes travel from her face as he noticed that whatever it was she was wearing was not much. He could feel the color rising in up his neck and toward his cheeks as the woman made her way to him. She stopped when she was so close to him that he could feel her breath against his skin, but Gendry refused to look at her. He looked past her to Arya.

"Leave he thought to himself, turn away do not watch this." He thought to himself as Arya`s stormy eyes met his. He held them begging her in his head to leave. He could barely hear the men shouting now, his head was going fuzzy as the woman touched the tender parts of his neck with her mouth. A year ago this would have been perfection to have a beautiful woman touching him but now here with Arya watching he could see the disappointment and anger in her eyes. He wanted to break the Rowan`s face for doing this to him. Gendry kept his body tensed and his arms to his side, maybe if Arya saw that he never touched the woman she wouldn`t make his life hell she wouldn`t look at him with disappointment. Then suddenly he felt her lips on his. Gendry`s eyes closed instinctively and he stopped breathing for a moment. The woman tasted of stale bread and wine, he didn`t like it at all it felt wrong filthy to have her mouth on his. He could feel the woman`s hands sliding down his back to the top of his pants. He opened his eyes and pulled his face away from hers, the cheers were there again ringing in his ears, but Arya was gone his stomach dropped. He grabbed the woman`s shoulders and pushed her from him. She looked at him with a confused stare. He walked past her and moved through the men where Arya had just stood.

"Come on boy!" One of the younger men shouted at him as he made his way after Arya. "This one is a real woman, forget about your child and be with a real woman. We can find someone for the little she wolf." He laughed and everyone around him went silent. Gendry turned and found the man who had said it. The stupid smile on his face. One of the men closest to Gendry reached out and grabbed him.

"Come on Gendry he didn`t mean it, he is the stupidest man we have ever recruited."

Gendry barely heard him as he shrugged the man off and walked away. He stopped a few inches from the stupid man and leaned forward.

"If I ever hear you speak of her like that again, I will cut you open and feed you to the wolves. Do you understand?" The words came out as more of a low growl but they made their point, the man`s eyes grew large and he shook his head in understanding as he stepped away backward from Gendry.

Without another word to anyone he turned and walked away other men and off to find Arya.

He wanted to apologize to let her know he had no part in any of that. He knew she wouldn't listen but he needed to tell her anyway. He knew where she would be, by the river where she went any time she was upset and where she went late at night when nightmares of her past would creep up on her. He had followed her only once when she left in the middle of the night. She had gone to the wide river and stripped naked diving into the water. He had watched her for a while until she got out and lied down on the ground the moon shining off the water on her naked body. Gendry had seen her unclothed before but that night it made him uncomfortable to look at her like that so he had returned to camp and pretended to sleep until he heard her return. Every time after that night that she left the camp he knew that is where she went.

He let his feet lead him through the trees without even thinking. Finally he could hear the water flowing up ahead and slowed his movements when he could hear quite grunting noises coming from nearby. Gendry followed the sound until he saw her.

She was dropped into her sideways water dance position with needle outstretched battling an invisible foe. She really did make it look like a dance the way she moved around so gracefully. Gendry enjoyed watching her practice with Needle almost as much as Arya enjoyed watching him at work in the forge. He watched her for several minutes before finally getting up the courage to step out into the open where she could see him.

Arya spun in a circle cutting the invisible enemy in half and stopped abruptly when she saw him standing there.

"Isn`t there a whore back there waiting for you? Or was it that quick?"  
Gendry blushed and felt his irritation rising.

"There is a whore back there but she isn`t waiting for me. By now I`m sure one of the other men has taken my place."

"Well that was rude of you, you just kiss her then walk away from her." Arya sneered over her shoulder as she made her way to a large tree and sat down with her back against the trunk breathing heavy from her practicing.

"Look Arya I had nothing to do with that, and I didn't kiss her she kissed me."

"Oh yeah she kissed you and you were fighting her very hard I could tell." She rolled her eyes at him and tossed Needle on the ground at her feet in annoyance. "Look I don`t know why you came all the way out here to tell me all of that. You are a man and you can have all the whores you want it is none of my concern where you stick your cock. Just be certain whatever nasty boils or sickness your whores give you, you don`t touch anything of mine and spread it. I don`t need you going for a piss and spreading whore diseases all over my things with your filthy hands."

The tone in her voice was vicious and cruel. She hand never spoke to Gendry like this before and it made it him angry. Why was she acting like this he hadn`t asked for the woman, he hadn`t even wanted her.

"I wasn`t asking you if it was alright if I had some whores for company, like you said I am a man grown and I will do as I please. I just wanted you to know I would not have touched her not in front of all the men like that." Gendry knew what he was saying was cruel and he wouldn`t have touched the woman no matter what the circumstances were not while Arya was around, but her cruel attitude had made him angrier than he already was at Rowan and the whore and the funny man.

"Oh that is a relief Gendry. To know that you would have waited until you were alone to fuck a woman who has been with more men than she can count. Although I doubt she can count past two." Arya was standing now and she was getting angry. You really are a gentleman. Gendry could tell by the way she balled her fists that this was going to get worse before it improved but he couldn`t help but shout back. She always did this to him.

"You know what! You just looked upset when you ran off so I thought I would come explain to you but you of course have to be a complete pain in the ass!"

"Well thank you for the explanation about your whore Gendry I am so thankful for it! Now go be a pain in her ass and let me alone!"

Gendry let out a frustrated grunt before turning and beginning to storm away from her. She is impossible he thought.

"And by the way!" Gendry turned around to see her advancing on him. She made her way swiftly to stop inches away from him. "I wasn`t upset. I just didn`t feel like puking at the sight of the two of you." With that she pushed past him and made her way back to the camp.

Gendry was vibrating with anger. "Why does she have to make everything a battle?" He shouted as soon as he thought she was far enough away that she would not hear.

"Gods I hate to love that girl!" The words no more than slipped from his lips when he realized what he had said. "Love that girl" he repeated quietly. For the first time since the moment he had begun to realize she meant more to him than he would like he had admitted out loud that he loved her.

But what bastard doesn't dream of loving highborn ladies he thought to himself as the all too familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach returned as he remember who she was. She was someone that could never love him back. She was someone destined for greatness, and he was a bastard blacksmith.


	6. Chapter 6

**Back to Arya in this chapter **

**Chapter 6**

Arya refused to speak to Gendry since the day in the forest. She had stormed back to the camp where only a few of the brothers remained. Several of them had gone she didn`t know where with the whore and the rest of them that weren`t outside had gathered in the cave to get out of the rain that. She had decided to join the men in the cave. Rownan had been inside and met her gaze when she entered. He had pulled her aside and apologized for the whole situation with the wench. Arya did not reply just stared at him with distaste before and replied simply with,

"You owe me no apology you did no harm to me."

With that she made her way to a far corner and sat alone the rest of the night until she returned to her and Gendry`s sleeping place. She slept alone however because Gendry never came to bed that night. It had been two days since then and he still hadn`t returned to where is furs lie cold and unused. She didn`t see him nights and it was rare that she saw him during the days either.

Arya knew that what she had said had been cruel and maybe a little bit more hurtful than necessary but he deserved it. She never thought however that the fight would go on this long or that Gendry would ignore her like this. As each day passed she became angrier and more irritated with him.

The third night Arya snuck away to hunt. She had been chasing a rabbit through the trees for over an hour before she finally caught it. She was deep in the woods far from the other men but that didn`t bother her. These trees were her second home now, she knew how to keep from getting lost and how to survive alone. The sun was beginning to turn everything a bright orange color when she finally started her long walk back to camp. As her feet took one step after another her mind began to wonder and she found herself thinking of that day with Gendry. She began to recall the feeling that erupted inside of her when she saw that he had come after her. When he had told her he hadn`t wanted the woman and that he wouldn`t have touched that filthy woman in front of everyone like that but Arya knew that he meant he wouldn`t have touched her. She had been so pleased to see him and to know that that woman hadn`t had her way with him but she could not show him that. She had to be strong, she could not and would not let the feelings she had for him get in the way of her journey. She hated the fact she even had feelings for him that were more than just thoughts of friendship. She wasn`t Sansa that is what she was good at. Falling in love with handsome men and acting like a complete idiot any time she was around one of her men. Yes that was her sister but was most definitely not Arya, and yet here she was still obsessing over why he refused to speak to her.

She was getting close to the camp now, she could hear the voices of the brothers and she could smell the fire. She tried her best to push the thoughts from her head as she kept on toward the sound of laughter, but she stopped suddenly when she heard another noise. It sounded like someone was hitting something with a stick?

Arya instinctively put her hand on Needles hilt before quietly following the odd noise. She didn`t have to go far before it was loud enough for her to know whatever it was would be just ahead in the clearing. The sun was almost gone now but it glowed a blood red color casting an odd color on the world around her. As she reached the clearing she could see him.

His back was to her, a rusty battle worn sword in his right hand, and beads of sweat glistening red as they traveled down his bare back disappearing under his leather pants. Gendry stood with the sword at his side for several moments catching his breath before pulling the sword up and swinging it as the tree again. Arya noticed how his feet moved and the muscles in his arms and back and shoulders worked at every thrust of the old sword at its wooden foe. He looked almost graceful for being Gendry and she couldn`t help but watch him. It was almost completely dark before he finally dropped the sword and sat on the ground his chest rising and falling with his tired breaths. Arya stood in the trees continuing to watch him. He is getting better she thought, he must have been practicing.

Arya swallowed hard and left her hiding place among the trees and entered the clearing. Gendry was laying on his back with his eyes closed when she sat down next to him.

"You are getting good Gendry, I could have still easily killed you but against a normal foe I think you might actually stand a chance. Have you been practicing, because I could help teach you if you would like."

His eyes shot open and he sat up staring at her. Arya didn`t know what to do or say but Gendry took care of that problem for her.

"What do you want?" He asked her. "Why are you out here?"

Arya felt the annoyance in her start to itch.

"I was on my way back from hunting when I saw you so I stopped to watch. Is that a crime? Oh and in case you missed it," Arya got to her feet and looked down at Gendry, "I paid you a compliment you ass!"

With that she turned and started to walk away from him.

"Arya please wait." His voice sounded desperate and for some reason her legs stopped moving and she turned around to face him.

"What do you want" She snapped the words at him so harshly it made her wince, but Gendry came closer unfazed by her tone.

"I am sorry I said that you just startled me is all. I wanted to tell you that I have been practicing, I watch you when I can and then I just sort of improvise the rest."

"You watch me?" Arya sounded dumb founded of course she knew Gendry watched her when she did her water dance but she never knew he was watching trying to learn. She felt a tremendous amount of pride well up inside of her.

"Yes I love to watch you with Needle, it`s like you`re a moving piece of art the way you move and swing your sword."

Arya felt her face go red and she looked down at needle to avoid his shining blue eyes.

"I wanted to make sure that I was good with a sword as well. So… so that I could keep you safe."

Arya`s eyes shot up from Needle to Gendry`s face.

"I don`t need protection," she said in a small voice, "I know how to take care of myself." As the words were coming out of her mouth she couldn`t help but feel that gnawing at her guts she often felt around him, at the thought of him learning to use a sword to keep her safe.

"I know you can Arya I just meant so incase anything were to ever happen and you couldn`t protect yourself you would still have me."  
Gendry refused to look at her as he said this knowing she was thinking he was an idiot or worse.

"I will still have you? She said in a sarcastic tone "I don`t have anyone. I am alone. You don`t come near me or even speak to me now. My family is being picked off one by one, and everyone else that I come into contact with wants to kill me or sell me like cattle. You will leave me just like everyone else does. The first chance at glory or riches you will go just like everyone else I know you will."

Gendry felt his chest tighten and his emotions were beginning to run high. She was the only one that had ever made him feel like this. So hopelessly devoted to her and yet so resentful of how she was toward him.

"Is that what you think?"

She wasn`t looking at him anymore instead she had turned side face and was staring off into the growing darkness.

"Arya. Look at me."  
She slowly turned and met his eyes. His eyes were like a storm over the ocean, they were mesmerizing she thought.

"Do you really believe that? That I will leave you?"  
Arya didn`t want to answer him at first. She was glad he was speaking to her again she didn`t want to start another fight but she knew he would know if she lied to him so she took a deep breath and in the strongest voice she could muster she answered.

"Yes Gendry I do. I think you care for me as a brother cares for his sister but protecting me cannot bring you glory, or riches, or women or children or power. It can`t give you any of the things a man desires. I`m not saying I blame you for it, but eventually yes I believe you will leave me just like everyone else."

He didn`t even have to speak for her to see the hurt on his face.

Slowly he stepped forward until he was inches from Arya, and lowered his face to hers.

"Believe what you want Lady Stark, but I will not leave you. I couldn`t leave you. And there is nothing brotherly about the way I feel towards you. Not anymore." With that he leaned forward placing a kiss that was far too soft to come from the lips of a blacksmith on her mouth.

Arya gasped and pulled away from him. Gendry opened his eyes to see hers wide with surprise, even in the dark he could see how red her cheeks were.

"Was that your first kiss Arya?"

Without an answer she balled up her fist and made solid contact with his chest knocking the wind out him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? You keep your mouth off me!" She turned and started trudging away from him. She could hear his heavy footsteps behind her when she stopped and turned on him. "And one more thing, for your information that was my first kiss not all of us sell pleasure to men like the woman you are used to kissing." She turned again and made her way back into camp Gendry silently following. Her face was glowing red so she did not dare to turn to look at him. Why had he done that! What did that even mean nothing brotherly about how he felt? He had told Beric she was his sister but Arya had yelled at him that she wasn't.

Arya`s mind was so fuzzy as she lied down under her furs. She didn`t even bother with a fire. The only thought that she could think clearly was that kiss. The feeling of his lips on hers and her surprise at how soft and gentle he was. Gendry was always like a bull loud and strong and hot headed, but tonight he had been different. And she had enjoyed it.

She hadn`t been lying there long when she heard footsteps and opened her eyes to see Gendry with an arm fool of sticks and other fuels for a fire. She watched him silently light the fire and pull of his boots and crawl under his own furs. He looked up from the fire and saw her staring at him. A small smile stretched across his face. Arya tried to suppress the smile that was fighting to stretch across her own face. Instead she threw a small pebble at him.

"Go to sleep Gendry and stop looking at me like that or I`ll cut your eyes out."  
Arya rolled over feeling happy for the first time since she had left Winterfell. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to dream. Of home, of her family, of Gendry and of that kiss. She dreamed such happy dreams unaware of how horrible her situation was about to become.


	7. Chapter 7

**Real quick before I start I wanted to just talk address something I forgot to before and I am not sure how I forgot but, I see Arya being about 14 or 15 in these stories. Gendry is the same age but just for obvious reasons Arya is older, older but still with that sort of oblivious girl strong willed personality. **

**So with that enjoy!**

**Chapter 7**

Gendry woke before Arya. Every part of him wanted to lay there and just watch her sleep but he forced himself to stand and stretch. It was just beginning to rain so he scooped up his fur and laid it over Arya. He stayed bent low near her taking in her peaceful face before blinking himself back to reality and making his way out behind a tree to piss. The camp was oddly quiet that morning he noticed. He heard no voices, no crackling of campfire. Gendry finished and made his way toward the cave, where he assumed they were all huddled to get out of the rain. It was still odd to him that so many of the men were awake so early and being so silent. The sun hadn`t even come up yet and usually the only people awake at this hour were Arya and Beric. As he entered the cave he could hear whispers, faint voices. He followed the path all the way to the entrance of the part of the cave that the Brotherhood was using as a meeting room. He was going to walk in and join them when he heard something that forced him to stop dead in his tracks.

"It`s not right! We could use him he already agreed to make those tips for me arrows, and our weapons need fixed. We can still ransom the little lady off but please don`t do this to Gendry. He`s a good lad."

"You really think the little lady is goin to stick around when she finds out we done sold off her bull. She`ll likely kill us all in our sleep." Gendry could tell that was Rownan speaking.

Gendry could hardly breathe. What had the man meant by that?

Then a woman`s voice began to speak. It was a sultry low kind of voice and it sent chills down his spine, but not in a good way. "That boy has a much higher purpose than polishing your sword. The lord of light has a task for him."

Beric`s voice was scratchy but clear as always as Gendry heard him raise his voice over the murmuring.

"The Lord of Light needs this boy and we are not to question that. We will keep the girl and take her to her aunt in the Veil as planned. Lady Melisandra will take the boy."

The betrayal and confusion inside Gendry was threatening to erupt. Without thinking he stepped into the rock room.

"So," he made his voice as clear and strong as he could make it so he had everyone`s attention.

"Do Arya and I have a say in this?"

Beric turned to face him and Gendry noticed the owner of the female voice for the first time. The crimson color of her cloak matched the color of her hair. Her eyes however seemed to match the coal black color of Gendry`s own hair.

Beric began to speak but the red lady interrupted.

"The Lord of Light needs you boy, you would be wise not to question him. God`s you do look just like him."

Gendry was confused. "Look like who?"

Before he could answer he noticed her dark eyes leave his and look passed him instead. Gendry turned and saw Arya making her way toward him. She stopped just a few inches away from him and looked around at all of the men and finally up at Beric and the Red Woman before looking at him in confusion. She broke her eyes away to look back up at the Red Woman

"Who is she?" Arya blurted.

"My name is Melisandra child. I am a red priestess, and you must be the Stark girl. I have heard stories of the similarity but I can see now just how true it is you could be your aunt born again child."

Arya had been told before she looked like her dead aunt Lyanna and it always gave her a sense of pride whenever she heard it, but for some reason this woman made her blood run cold and her hand move instinctively to Needles hilt. Gendry noticed her hand resting on the small sword and took a step closer to her to have a better chance at grabbing hold of her if she decided to do something stupid. Arya didn`t move however, even as the Red Woman smoothly made her way to Arya and Gendry Arya didn`t move a muscle. Gendry however instinctively took another step toward Arya so there was no space left between them now and his hand gently brushed hers, but his eyes never left the woman as she stood before them.

"I am taking your friend child. The Lord of Light needs him"

"Like hell you are." Arya`s voice was cold and Gendry could feel her tense up beside him.

"He will change everything child, we need him, the kingdoms need him."

"Stop calling me child and why is a bastard blacksmith`s apprentice so damn important to the kingdoms, more importantly to you."

"She serves the Lord of Light, he needs this boy and we do not refuse him what he wants."

Gendry caught Beric`s one eye before looking back and Melisandra.  
"Sorry I don`t exactly believe in your Red God so he`s just going to have need another bastard."

Gendry grabbed Arya`s hand and began to pull her behind him out of the cave.

"You are the last Baratheon bastard boy, you are the one I need and the lord will have you."  
Gendry stopped, he didn`t breath or move for what seemed like an eternity. Finally he turned his face to see Arya`s eyes looking up at him wide with surprise.

"Baratheon?" she whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Not a man spoke, no one blinked. Every man`s eye was on Gendry. Gendry`s eyes however held Arya`s, they stared at each other as though having a silent conversation.

"Well that explains things doesn`t it." Arya said quietly, "or at least why the gold cloaks are after you."

"Yeah." Was all Gendry could manage to say.

Melisandra moved next to them stepping forward laying a hand on Gendry`s shoulder causing him to tense.

"It is the truth the blood of Robert Baratheon runs through your veins. We need you boy, you will help end this war and help to assure that the rightful King sits upon the iron throne." Gendry could feel her eyes on him but he refused to look at her. Choosing instead to look past her at Beric.

"I`m sorry son, but the Lord of Light needs you."

Before Gendry even saw her move Arya was between him and the men advancing on him with Needle unsheathed.

"Did the Lord of Light tell you that or did she." Her voice was more like a snarl.

Melisandra made her way back toward Beric and nodded to two men that brought forward two bags of gold.

"You lying bastard!" Arya stepped forward screaming. Gendry put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from going any further. "You aren`t doing this for a god you are doing it for gold!"

Suddenly there were hands on Gendry`s shoulders. Large hands began to pull his arms behind his back and tie his wrists together. Even with all of his strength he could not fight them off.

He wiggled and kicked trying to get them off of him but it was no use.

"Get off of me!" Arya shouted. Gendry looked up to see Rowan wrapping her up in his arms so that she could not move. "Let him go you lying.." her voice trailed off as she fought against Rowans large frame.

Gendry knew Rowan would not harm Arya but seeing her being man handled like that made him want to kill someone.

"Take him to the cart." Melisandra told his captures.

Gendry was shoved out of the cave. Rowan went ahead of them carrying Needle in one hand and Arya over his shoulder kicking and screaming at him.

Gendry could do nothing but watch her struggle as he was led out of the cave into the morning light. Past the place where he and Arya had slept.

They continued until they were into the trees where the red woman`s horse waited along with a mule and an open hay cart.

"You can stay here." One of the captures said to Rowan.

Rowan turned and looked down on the man. "The girl will want to say goodbye, so I will let her say goodbye." The man didn`t argue so with that Rowan turned and continued to the cart where he put Arya on the ground. He bent down close to her ear whispering quickly.

"I will take out the men you get Gendry and get yourselves the hell out of here. That woman is bad news and I couldn`t live with myself if I let her leave with him. He`s a good lad. There is a town not far from here. Don`t stay at an inn find shelter in a home if you can and only for a night then go as far away as possible." He slid a dagger into her breeches before winking at her.

Arya shook her head indicating that she understood.

"I`ve told her to behave or her punishment would be worse than what you lot are going to do to that boy. I have to excuse myself so let the girl say her goodbyes and I`ll be back for her quickly."

Arya watched him walk away before returning her attention back to the Gendry who was now being tossed into the cart. The men checked his bonds before mounting their horses. They didn`t even so much as glance back at Arya as she climbed up next to Gendry. Her heart was racing and her body was shaking slightly.

"Arya look at me." Gendry moved his face directly in front of hers. "I will be fine, don't worry about me. Stay here with Beric they don't want to harm you they want to take you to your aunt."

"I don`t care what they want with me that woman is not taking you." Arya began to force herself to cry. She knew to pull this off she would have to put on a show.

One of the men turned his head to look at her. She knew it had to be now she had to distract them.

Arya looked back at Gendry.

"Arya please don`t cry." He shifted trying to get as close to her as possible.

Arya shot a glance up at the man that was watching, he was turning back around. She had to keep his attention. Without thought she grabbed Gendry`s face and smashed her lips against his.

All of a sudden everything was gone. The men were gone the red woman, the cold the forest her dead father her lost wolf. Nothing else existed but Gendry. She moved her mouth against his biting his lower lip pulling it into her mouth until he let a small noise escape him. She should make sure they were watching she should stop but she couldn`t, something inside of her wouldn`t let her break away from him. Gendry`s tongue slid along her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth tasting her. That was the breaking point she gasped and her mind became clear again. She grabbed a fist full of his black hair pulling her body into his getting as close as she could to him in an effort to hide her other hand pulling the dagger out of the top of her pants.

A yell reached her ears and she forced herself to pull away from Gendry. Her mind was still fuzzy but she looked around to see the guards. Rowan had already knocked one off of his horse he lay unconscious on the ground. Arya knew she had to move quickly, she jumped behind Gendry sawing off the ropes.

Once his hands were free Gendry stood jumping over the side of the cart to aid Rowan.

"Rowan ripped the helmet off the man and slammed it into the side of his head. Knocking him unconscious as well."

The fight was not quite and Arya knew someone had to have heard it.  
Rowan turned on them. "What are you two still doing here go!"

Arya grabbed Gendry`s arm and pulled him away. "Gendry hurry up come on!"

Gendry just looked at Rowan. "Thank you." He said as Arya pulled him away.

"Go boy! Take care of her." Was all Rowan said as he tossed Needle at Gendry.

Gendry nodded and turned giving the sword to Arya where she sheathed it adn sprinted off into the trees Gendry right on her heels.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Gendry collapsed to the ground panting, legs shaking his heart pounding so hard it hurt. They hadn`t stopped running until it was dark. Arya was leaning against a tree her chest rising and falling rapidly as she stared in the direction of the dark mass that was Gendry.

"I don`t …think that…. they... will find us …here." Arya panted.

Gendry tried to respond but couldn`t so he just shook his head.

"I`m going to start a fire."

It wasn`t easy finding fuel for the fire in the dark but somehow Arya managed it.

"Gendry are you going to help or just lay there."

"Look Arya we aren`t all 95 pounds and have wolf blood. I don`t run."

Gendry sat up leaning against a tree his breath finally getting back to normal.

"I need to eat, I`m starving." Gendry tried to stand but his legs gave out and he fell back to the ground.  
"Shit!"

"You stupid… don`t move." She made her way over to Gendry and sat down beside him.

"Just sit still we can find food in the morning, there is no point now while it`s dark."

Gendry grunted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You want me to die don`t you."

Arya just glared at him.

"Yes you found out my plans Gendry, I want to kill my only friend."

"Friend." Gendry shot a glance at Arya. "Do you kiss all of your friends the way you kissed me back there?"

Arya felt her face go red and her heart begin to race as her mind went back to earlier.

"I was just keeping those guards distracted, don`t flatter yourself."

Gendry fell sideways laying down on ground the next to Arya.

"Well it was definitely distracting."

Arya punched him hard in the ribs making him laugh instead of cry out in pain.

.

Within minutes Gendry was sound asleep. His dreams took him back to the cart Arya`s lips crushing his own. The way she pulled her body hard against his. His heart was pounding and his head was spinning but he refused to pull away thinking this could possibly be the last time he ever saw her, who he was the fact he was a lowborn bastard didn`t matter. He was content for a moment.

His dream was interrupted when he received a kick in the leg and he heard her calling his name.

"Gendry get up now!"

He could hear the panic and alarm in her voice, he sat up his ribs still in pain and his legs stiff. He staggered to his feet as quickly as his body would allow him to.

"What is it?" he asked her through gritted teeth.

"Hush" she held her hand up indicating him to be quite as she listened hard. Gendry heard nothing but Gendry had always sworn Arya Stark was part wolf she could hear, see and smell things before they were anywhere near her.

"Voices, I can hear voices, we have to go now. Can you walk?" She had turned and noticed he had propped himself up against a tree.

Gendry was embarrassed at being so sore from running he was a large muscled man and yet he could barely stand on his trembling legs but he had to be strong for her.

"I can. They don`t really hurt today." He lied pushing himself off the tree taking his place beside her as she sheathed Needle and started off into the trees. Arya knew very well that Gendry`s legs were still causing him pain. She could see his face masked in agony and noticed how lightly he was trying to walk. She appreciated his strength and the fact he did not complain. He had always been that way she remember thinking how different from Hot Pie he had been. Had it been Hot Pie that had been forced to run all night he would have just sat under those trees all day refusing to move, but Gendry pushed on, he was strong and stubborn. Two things Arya admired about him.

They walked most of the day in silence. Partly because of fear that if Arya spoke Gendry would mention the kiss again and she didn`t want to talk about that, partly because of Gendry`s aching body keeping his mind pre-occupied and partly because of the truth they had just learned about who Gendry really was and neither one of them was entirely sure how to talk about any of it. Arya wanted to say something to him but knew that his mind was probably elsewhere and he would prefer the silence. After a few hours of walking Arya broke the silence by telling Gendry to sit and rest. Gendry happily did as he was told and sat down heavily on the hard ground. Arya sat down beside him laying back on her elbows. She watched Gendry rub his legs wincing now and then. He looked up at her meeting her eyes.

"What?" he asked her finally.

"I was just thinking of what the witch lady said. About you being a Baratheon." Arya never looked away from him but Gendry was now staring at the ground in front of him.

"It`s probably a lie, that woman was bad like you said, her Lord probably just needed a smith and she found me for cheap. She knew Beric would let me go no problem if she told him their lord of light needed me."

"No Gendry I believe her. Why else would the gold cloaks have been looking for you? It all makes sense, your master sends you away just as King Robert dies and Jofferey takes the Iron Throne. She was going to kill you so no one could come between that shit son of hers and the crown that he is not entitled to. You even look like a Baratheon, that jet black hair and blue eyes I can`t believe no one noticed it before."

Gendry looked up at her. The look on his face was sad, and angry and lost.

"I don`t want to be King, I don`t want to be a Baratheon, I just want to be Gendry a smith. That`s all I have ever wanted."

"As long as Cersie and her son are alive it matters not what others want, only what they want. They proved that the day they severed my father`s head." The memory pained her but she pushed it out of her mind and smiled at Gendry. "Lucky for you though highborn bastard or lowborn bastard you will always just be Gendry to me."

The smile that stretched across his face made her stomach turn in a good way.

"You will always be Arry to me then." Gendry tossed a small stick at her playfully and sighed deeply.

"We should get going again. The sooner we get to that inn the better." He got up much easier this time, like a weight had been lifted from him.

Arya stared up at him for a moment before doing the same and standing up stretching. She smiled at Gendry before walking past him, their hands brushing against each other. Arya felt her insides turn and saw Gendry`s face blush red.

She was walking a little ways ahead of him, Gendry wasn`t sure why but he appreciated it. It kept him from having to hide his weakness. He limped along watching her walk. Noticing the way her hips swayed and the way she seemed to just float along the ground. It made him imagine how she would feel in his arms how her hands would feel on him.

"Stop it." He growled to himself shaking his head.

"What`s that?" Arya turned around.

"Oh nothing I stepped wrong that`s all."

"Ah well you will be able to rest soon the town is just there." Gendry caught up to her and looked to where she was Arya was pointing. Sure enough there was a small town with only a brothel inn and a few other buildings. Arya remembered Rowan telling her not to stay at the inn but she knew that the only accommodations she would get from the villagers would be to sleep in a barn if they were lucky and they both needed food and a good night's sleep, so she had decided they would risk it and stay at the inn. She reached into her pocket feeling the coins she had stolen from the whore that had come to the camp. She figured that the whore had it coming for kissing Gendry.

"Bout damn time." Gendry threw his arm over Arya`s shoulder and looked down at her.

"You think I will get the kings accommodations, with me being royalty and all." Gendry grinned as she rolled her eyes and walked away from him. Throwing a sarcastic comment over her shoulder at him.

"Oh I`m sure they will give you the prettiest whore and the softest feather bed they have, and hopefully a bath full of flowery water."

"It is good being me I must say." Gendry heard her let out a loud laugh and stop waiting for him to catch up.

Arya and Gendry stepped into the crowded building the smell of wine and sweat filling their nostrils. Arya scanned the crowd searching for the inn keep. She found her standing behind the bar serving ale to a group of rough looking men. There were half naked women on almost every lap. Arya turned to Gendry.

"Wait here, I will get us a room and see what I can do about food."

Gendry nodded at her and watched her disappear into the crowd. He stretched his tired legs and shivered at the warmth of the inn. He watched as the men fondled the woman and spoke loudly to one another. Some were disappearing up stairs with the women. Arya was talking to the woman he watched her hand the inn keep some coins. He wondered where she had gotten those from but he decided he probably didn`t want to know and let him mind dream of a warm bed and food in his belly.

"Hello handsome." Gendry looked up a women only a few years older than he, was standing before him, her long black hair hung past her shoulders loosely her breasts completely exposed. Gendry felt his face go red and he looked down at his hands.

"What are you doing sitting here all alone, you`re a young one and handsome strong one at that, I can`t imagine why you are sitting here all alone." Without warning she sat herself down on his lap throwing her arms around Gendry`s neck.

"I`m waiting for someone, and I`m sure you are good at what you do but…"

"Well whenever you are done with your friend we have the room at the top of the stairs. It`s the only door." Arya glared at him and shot a disgusted look at the woman on his lap. He quickly tried to push the woman off and stand but she was clinging to him like a child clings to their mother.

"Arya please, wait I will go with you."

"No please stay have your fun, you`ve earned it." Gendry thought that he saw her eyes beginning to moisten but as quickly as the tears sprang into her eyes she blinked them away.

"Don`t worry girl I will take good care of your friend here." The woman smiled at Gendry but he was watching Arya as she stared at the bare breasted woman pressing herself against him.

"Treat him well." Arya`s voice was cold and dead as she said it. Before Gendry could even reach out for her she was weaving through the crowd of men, and he lost sight of her.

Gendry turned his attention back to the woman latched onto his side.  
"Look I am not interested but thank you." He peeled the woman off of him and walked away from her making his way through the crowd of men.

Arya was nowhere to be seen. Gendry was irritated to the point of screaming. She never listened to him she always just reacted and believed the worst. After a few more minutes of looking for her he assumed she had gone to their room. Gendry knew Arya well enough to know she would want to be alone so he took a seat at the bar. The inn keep came over to him,

"Can I get you an ale, your friend has already paid for you to drink your fill." The old woman smiled a wide toothless smile at him.

"Yes thank you."

He spent most of the night drinking, filling his stomach with stew and talking to the other men enjoying their company and ale. He turned away all of the women that kept throwing himself at them. Several of them offered their service to him for free, but he denied even those women. He could not bring himself to even think of enjoying their company with Arya being there, she would probably never speak to him again.


	10. Chapter 10

**And now things get heated**

**Chapter 10**

The crowd was beginning to diminish and Gendry decided that it was time to get some sleep, he figured Arya had had enough time to calm down. Gendry stood his legs no longer hurting him and made for the stairs. He made it to the base of the stairs when he heard Arya`s voice coming from behind him somewhere. Turning he saw her sitting at a table just to the left of the stairs surrounded by a group of young and older men. One younger man in particular was sitting right beside her with his arm around her shoulder as she told them all an apparently comedic tale.

Gendry felt his blood boil at how close the man was to Arya and the way he looked down at her chest. Even though she was dressed in dirty men's clothing the shape of her chest was still obvious. Gendry made his way to the table feeling the dullness from the wine beginning to wear off. He stopped behind the man sitting directly across from Arya. She was taking a large gulp of ale when her eyes looked up from her cup she swallowed and set the cup down.

"Hey there Gen I thought you would have found a whore or two by now." The look she gave him was not kind.

"It`s time to sleep let`s go." Gendry nodded toward the stairs not taking his eyes from hers.

"I`ll bring her up when she`s tired mate." The man with his arm around Arya squeezed her into his side.

Arya looked at Gendry with slight embarrassment and pulled out of the man's embrace.

"No he`s right I need to get some sleep. Thank you all for listening to me ramble." She started to stand but the young man grabbed her arm pulling her back down beside him.

"You don`t have to go just because he says you do, you can stay here with me. We both know you want to." The way he looked at her and ran his hands down her leg was all he could take. Before he could stop himself Gendry had the man by the back of his shirt and threw him to the floor. He grabbed a handful of the man's hair and pulled his head back so he could speak into the man's ear. Gendry could see the blood dripping from the man's nose. Gendry put his mouth close to the man's ear.

"You ever touch her again, you will have more than a broken nose." Gendry shoved the man's head down into the floor hard and stood looking around. The other men hadn`t so much as even stood up from the table. Arya however stood there staring at him.

He grabbed her by the arm and stepping over the moaning body on the floor pulled her up the stairs.

"What in the seven hells was that!" Arya tried pulling her arm from his large hand but it was no use. He only tightened his grip as he drug her into their room locking the door behind them.

"That was me hitting someone."

"Why! He did nothing to you."

Gendry spun around unlacing his jerkin.

"Don`t stand there and pretend not to know why. You might as well have just been sitting in his lap with his hand down your breeches." He jerkily tore off the tunic throwing into the corner and pulling his tunic over his head so that he stood before her bare chested.

Arya felt her face go hot at the last words.

"Oh you mean the way your whore was sitting in your lap earlier!" Arya was shaking with anger.

"She wasn`t my whore, I was in the middle of telling her that I had no need for her services when you came over and interrupted, and that is what I told everyone of the women who offered themselves to me tonight. Apparently though you can`t say the same." Gendry turned away from her. He could tell she was embarrassed and hurt at what he had just said but just then he didn`t care. She had let that man touch her, how could she do that.

"What was his name, does he have money? Does he come from a noble family like you Lady Stark… ouch!"

Her boot had made solid contact with the back of his head.

"Don`t you dare!" she screamed "Don`t you dare say that about me, you of all people don`t say that to me! His name was Allan and he is an arrogant prick. He has no money he has no family and he was very drunk. I don`t have to defend myself to you. I am allowed to speak to whomever I please."

"Yeah you let whomever pleases touch you as well do you?"

Gendry had crossed the room in only a few strides and was standing only inches away from her staring down at into her stormy eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly his body trembling with an anger he could not control.

"I did that to make you angry I was angry about the whore earlier and I wanted you to feel the same way I did." The words had slipped from her lips before she could stop them and she felt shame and embarrassment knot her guts. She turned her attention to her feet not being able to look at Gendry just then.

Gendry tried to steady his breathing, forcing himself to calm down.

"Well it worked."

Arya finally found the courage to look at him. His blue eyes dangerously brilliant and seemed to be staring at her as though they were searching her face for something. His face was calm now, Arya could not see the anger anymore it was replaced with something Arya couldn`t quite understand.

"I`m sorry." Arya said finally her tone was not apologetic but Gendry knew it was the best he was going to get from her.

Gendry without completely knowing what he was doing or full understanding of why he was doing it he slowly wrapped his arms around her waiting for her to resist or pull away but she did neither. She snaked her arms around his waist as he pulled her tightly to him and pressed a soft kiss the top of her head. Arya froze when she felt his breath in her hair. She didn`t like how close they were it was making it hard to think, her mind was fuzzy.

"I`m sorry too. I shouldn`t have reacted that way. When I saw him touch you I couldn`t control it."

Arya looked up into his eyes, "It`s alright I`m sure he deserved it."

They both laughed together before Arya reached up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Thank you for not bedding any of those whores." She could see the blue parts of his eyes shrinking as the black began to grow.

"I would never, women like that do not interest me."

"Is that so? And what kind of women do interest you?" She tried to keep her voice from trembling but it didn`t work.

"I prefer strong hearted smart brave women. I prefer a woman who`s heart is as wild and loving as she is herself." He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and ran his fingers along her jaw to her chin lifting his face towards her. "I prefer women that pay no mind to where I come from or who my father was. I prefer you."

"Show me." Arya whispered. Her heart was pounding and she did not know why she was acting this way but she couldn`t help it. She ran her hands up his muscular stomach to his clenched jaw. His eyes looked as though they were fighting in internal battle.

"I can`t Arya." Gendry closed his eyes taking a step back.

"Why not?"

"Because it isn`t right. You are only five and ten."

"And you are just passed your twenty first name day. That is a ridiculous excuse, why won`t you really?"

Gendry shook his head and tried to step away from her but Arya closed the space between them immediately.

"You`re a lady and I am a bastard. I would get my head cut off if anyone found out."

"You want a woman that cares not for your position or who your father was or wasn`t, and yet you make decisions about me based on who I am and who my father was."

"No Arya." His hands went to her shoulders automatically. "Everyone else does, the men that could have my life or more importantly yours care who you are and who your father is."

"I will cut open the first person that tries to harm you for touching me. I am no lady anymore Gendry. My family is dead and to most people so am I."

"You deserve better than me, please." Gendry looked down at her

"I only want you. I want you to see who you are the way I do" She pressed herself against him her small hands rested on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding under them.

"You know how difficult you make it for me to say no to you?"

Arya tried to repress a smile, while she let him kiss her.

Gendry let go of every thought in his head and wrapped his arms around her waist bringing her off of the floor. He kissed her as though he would never get the chance to again he really didn`t believe he would. Arya brought her legs up to wrap around his body. She ran her fingers through his thick hair as her mouth worked over his, their tongues and lips crashing together. She nibbled at his bottom lip causing him to groan into her mouth and tighten his grip on her hair pulling her head back to plant kissed down her jaw and neck until he reached her shoulders. Arya reluctantly pulled her shoulders away from him unlacing the jerkin and dropping it to the floor. She could hardly breathe. She had never seen anyone look at her the way that Gendry did. Gendry walked them to the bed where he laid her down continuing to kiss her. His heart was tight and his stomach turned when he ran his hands slowly under her tunic and along her bare skin, where he raised goosebumps all over her. He reached her chest and stopped feeling Arya`s body tense under his touch. Gendry was doing everything in his power to keep his mind on what he was about to say and not on what his mind desperately wanted to think about.

"I won`t bed you." The words were thick on his tongue as he forced them from his mouth. Arya`s eyes snapped open and he could see the hurt in her eyes. She started to speak but he cut her off. "Not here, not like this. Please don`t ask me to do this in a brothel, not this night."

Arya was filled instantly with hurt and embarrassment and then suddenly with relief. She had wanted this more than anything but Gendry was right.

"Alright," her voice was quite and soft for once, "but that doesn`t mean this has to stop does it?"

The smile Gendry wore on his face told her, her answer. The next few hours were spent kissing each other, learning each other's taste and scents, as well as each other's sensitive areas. Finally sleep was beginning to take them over as Arya laid wrapped in Gendry`s arms, tracing circles on his chest absentmindedly. Kissing him there every so often.

"What are you thinking of?" Gendry didn`t open his eyes as he spoke.

"I`m not thinking of anything."  
"You're a liar, you are never this quite for this long unless you are sleeping or thinking"

Arya rolled her eyes at him even though he couldn`t see her and took a deep breath before she spoke.

"When?"  
"When what?" Gendry looked down at her.

"When can I lie with you. You said not here not like this, why?"

Gendry could feel his neck turning red as it traveled up toward his face. He cleared his throat and kissed the top of her head.

"When I can put you on a feather bed, and we have bathed and our bellies are full of delicious food. So that the moment is worthy of you."

"I don`t want that." Arya pulled away from his warm body and rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

"Arya lets please not talk about this anymore."

"I would have you in the smithy. Where I could watch you work, I love to watch you work. How dedicated you are to your craft. The way you are when you work is beyond handsome. I would watch the sweat run down your stomach and shoulder, to the top of your breeches that always seem to slide down farther than you intend for them to."

"Arya let`s talk of something else, please." Gendry pleaded her but Arya paid him no mind and continued.

"I would unburden you of everything and let you have me as you wished in the forge, where we belong together. Hearing the fire crackle behind us, gasping together. The feeling of each other`s skin slick with sweat against each other. In the safety of the smithy against the wall and on the bed in the back. I would do anything you asked me to."

"Gods Arya please stop it." She had felt him harden against her and she was terrified for a moment before she became pleased with herself. She loved having this effect on him.

"Is that what you would want Gendry?"

"More than you know." With that he was on top of her. Kissing her hard not like before. His kisses were full of want and desire and of things he knew he couldn`t have.

"If I had my choice this is how I would spend my nights forever Gendry, adventuring all day and lying down in your arms at night." She could feel him trying to keep from rubbing himself against her. The kissed he placed down her neck and over her shoulder down to her bare chest were desperate and felt as though they would burn her skin.

"If I had my choice," his voice was thick with want and desire but he looked into her eyes fully when he spoke. "I would marry you, and spend all of my days trying to understand you and make you happy. Live in the smithy with you spend every night loving you like no man has ever loved a woman before. But I do not have a choice, all I have is this night and you."

Arya smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair, "then make it count."

Gendry grinned at her and began to leave a trail of scorching kisses down her stomach to her neediest parts. Where he licked and tasted and devoured her.

Arya had never experienced any feeling like this before. There was something building inside her and her hips bucked uncondtrollably and wildly pushing herself further into his warm mouth. She couldn`t stop the moans from escaping her lips, or Gendry`s name that she was panting as whatever it was that was building inside of her started to boil over until she could not take it anymore and her body released the tension. Her hands went to the back of Gendry`s head as her hips pushed her as deep as she could into his mouth. His tongue working over her wildly. Finally her body relaxed and she laid back. Gendry moved up to join her putting her head on his chest and wrapping her once again in his arms.

"Thank you."  
Gendry laughed a little. "It was my pleasure. I wasn`t sure if I was going to be any good at that."

"I think you were." Arya couldn`t be sure but she knew if he had not done it right and that wasn`t what it was supposed to feel like she didn`t want Gendry to know that. That had been the most amazing feeling of her life.

Within minutes she was asleep sleeping soundly without nightmares. Gendry played with her hair and watched her for a short while until he also fell asleep.

Downstairs however, Melisandra and her men had entered the inn.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all of the sweet reviews I`m glad someone enjoys it **

**This chapter is a little slow and boring but that is because I saved all the good stuff for the next chapter!;) **

**Chapter 11**

Melisandra made her way between the tables to the bar. There were only a handful of men left in the inn but every eye in the place was on her. The bar wench busied herself with cleaning the bar.

Melisandra reached the woman and lowered her hood. Reluctantly the bar wench looked up.

"Evening m`lady, are you looking for a room?"

"Did a large young man, and a younger girl come in together this evening?"

The bar wench looked from Melisandra to her guards then to the men at the tables that were watching them with wide eyes.

"No, I`m sorry m`lady. We haven't had any new guests today, but I will keep watch for them. Now how bout a room."

"No we won`t be staying but my men require food and drink. Make sure they are taken care of."

"Yes m`lady right away."

Melisandra turned her back to the bar and walked slowly toward the other men. Leaving her guards to enjoy themselves. Sitting herself down at the table and lowering her hood, as she did so. None of the men looked at her, they all pretended not to notice that she had sat down, Melisandra took no notice however.

"If I ask you good men to answer my question honestly will you do so? There will be quite a reward for whoever gives me the information I seek." The mens eyes began to search eachothers as though they were questioning each other as to who would answer first, or if they should answer at all.

Melisandra focused on her cloak that she was now folding in her lap.

"I am searching for a boy, large muscled, black hair, blue eyes had a girl with him. Small pretty enough, brown shoulder length hair. Have any of you seen them?"

.

Arya awoke wrapped in Gendry`s arms her head on his chest. She looked up at his face peaceful still strong. She slowly slipped from under his arms and slid from the bed. She felt embarrassed and completely surprised with herself at what she had done, but she couldn`t help but smile at his sleeping figure. As embarrassed as she was at what had happened earlier she felt no shame and she couldn`t help but to think back and remember how much she had enjoyed it. How much farther she had wanted it to go how perfect he was. Arya shook her head in attempt to clear her mind, she dressed and left the room. She swiftly and quickly made her way down the stairs. She wasn`t going to be able to go back to sleep, she wanted to get some air, to prepare for the journey tomorrow. She thought that maybe the inn keep would allow her some extra rations. She was deep in thought when she reached the last step. Looking up she saw her. The red woman`s back was to her. Arya felt her stomach turn to knots and a lump formed in her throat. She stepped backward into the shadows. No one at her table spoke, instead all of the men seemed to just be staring at each other. She was questioning them those men would give them up as soon as they saw the flicker of coins. She had to wake Gendry and leave now. Arya turned with a glance over her shoulder to see that she hadn`t been spotted, as far as she could tell she hadn`t been. When she reached the room she slipped into the room and ran to the bedside shaking Gendry.

"Get up, Gendry get up now! They have found us!"

Gendry shot straight up out of bed. His eyes drooped with sleep but he blinked and rubbed them staring at Arya. She threw his shirt at him and tossed his boots across the room, before strapping Needle to her side.

"The red woman and her men are downstairs, she is questioning some of the patrons. We have to leave before they turn us over."

Gendry was dressed and fully awake now standing before her now staring down at her.

"How do we get out of here?"

"Out the window of the next room the stables, are directly below it."

Nodding at her Arya took the lead checking the hall before they left the room. Arya opened the door to the next room quietly. She started to step in when Gendry had her by the shoulder.

"Arya. Stop listen."

Arya could hear it then, the red woman was coming up the stairs she was speaking to someone Arya assumed could only be one of the drunkards from the table.

Gendry shot a concerned look before shoving Arya through the door. The room was lit by one candle and there were men laying all over the floor. Gendry shut the door behind them and moved Arya through the room. They had interrupted several men and their whores.

"Oi." One of the said looking around the naked woman that was bouncing on his cock. "What are you doing in here."

Arya had the window open already and was throwing her legs out before looking back.

"Leaving." She said simply and flung herself out the window. Gendry watched her fall onto the roof of the stable before hoping down onto a cart of hay then to the ground.

The man just stared at him stupidly the woman not concerning herself at all with his lack of attention.

Gendry nodded at the man and followed Arya out the window. His landing was not as graceful however as he couldn't keep his footing as he hit the stable roof and he rolled off landing hard on the ground.

Arya had her hands around his arm pulling on him in an attempt to stand him up.

Gendry pulled his arm away from her. "I`m fine lets go."

They made their way around to the front of the building.  
"Where are we going Arya?"

She didn`t answer him, but she didn`t have to. Melisandra and her men had tied their horses up out front of the inn.

"We will take the two young ones and untie the others." Arya said without looking at Gendry.

Gendry followed her and watched her as she chose her horse before he untied all of the rest of them.

"Take the black one." Arya pointed to a strong dark horse beside her own.

Gendry slapped the other horses sending them off into the trees before he swung himself onto the back of his horse.

"Let`s go." Gendry nodded at Arya and they took off as fast as they could.

They rode all night and all of the next day. The sun had gone down hours ago and Gendry could see Arya drooping as she sat in her saddle.

Gendry rode up beside her, Arya sat up straight pretending that she wasn`t fighting sleep.

"Arya let`s stop. Without horses they can`t be close to us. You are going to fall off of your horse if we keep going." He tried to force a smile at her.

Arya didn`t answer she just nodded in agreement, pulling the horse to a stop. Gendry slid off his horse. His legs were sore from riding all day but he took a shaky step and lifted Arya off the horse.

"Let me help." Gendry held her under her arms and lowered her to stand in front of himself.

"You look like death." Gendry joked trying to make her smile. It worked, she smiled at him and punched him in the chest.

"You look like a pile of shit too." The two of them smiled at each other and started setting up camp. Gendry built a fire while Arya found some squirrels and a rabbit. It wasn`t much but it would do until they found a town or a farm.

Gendry stood up and stretched before walking to a tree to take a piss. Arya was sitting on the ground polishing Needle completely focused on the blade. Gendry finished his business and turned to watch Arya as he stuffed himself back in his breeches. She was wildly beautiful, dangerously memorizing the way her hair tangled around her face and her eyes were so focused on Needle. His mind wondered back to the inn, the way her skin felt. The way she smelled and how her small body fit beside his so easily. They hadn`t spoken about that night but it had hung in the air around them since they had left the inn.

"What are you looking at?" Arya`s voice snapped him back to reality.

Gendry went red and looked down at the ground. He rubbed his neck and started walking toward Arya.

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Of what?" She set Needle down in front of her, and leaning back on her elbows. Gendry could see how tired she was but it made him happy to see that she was smiling at him. He couldn`t bring himself to talk about that night.

"Nothing."  
Arya shook her head and reached her head and laid back on the ground.

"I was just thinking of the other night at the inn." Arya stared into the sky as she said it, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"So was I." Gendry was watching her , her tunic had slid up revealing her soft stomach above her breeches. His hands were shaking and his heart was starting to quicken.

"What about it." Arya asked her voice was soft but heavy.

Gendry swallowed hard and took a deep breath before responding, "You."

Arya rolled on to her side and looked at him a smile on her face.

"I would hope it`s me you were thinking about. That whore was pretty however I wouldn`t blame you for thinking of her."

Gendry smiled and shook his head at her. "Sorry Arya I don`t know what whore you are speaking of."

Arya laughed out loud and laid back again. Gendry pushed the coal in the fire around before getting up to stand above Arya, where she looked up at him sleepily.

"Lay down." Arya nodded at the spot next to her. Gendry did as he was told, and laid down beside her.

They both laid there staring up into the darkness. Until he felt her fingers begin to lace themselves into his own. Her hand was so small inside his. She squeezed his hand lightly and Gendry rolled onto his side pulling Arya into him, burying his face in her hair.

"Get some sleep Lady Stark." He kissed the top of her head gently.

"As you command Lord Baratheon. If I can keep those thoughts of you in that bed out of my mind I might be able to but it won`t be easy."

She could just imagine the look on his face and that made her laugh to herself as she pressed herself closer to him and fell asleep knowing he was there holding her in his arms. Feeling a little safer because she had him.


	12. Chapter 12

**So I realize that I already posted a chapter 12 but I hated it. I don`t feel like it fit the characters correctly so I decided to scratch it and start over. Hopefully there isn`t any confusion or irritation about it. Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think. **

**Chapter 12**

Gendry woke before Arya, she was still wrapped in his arms pressed up against him as close as she could be. He could have punched himself for sleeping next to her again. He had told himself that night at the inn while they were laying together this wouldn`t happen again, it couldn`t happen again. He detangled himself from her and got up as quietly as he could. The morning was cold so he laid his cloak over Arya`s small body before he busied himself with finding nearby bush to piss on.

"Idiot, what were you thinking?" He was whispering to himself, he shook himself dry and stuffed himself back into his breaches.

Gendry shook his head running his hands through his hair. He had been trying to get the last two nights off his mind but he couldn`t. The memory of Arya with him at the inn was all that he could think about, how soft her skin was, how bright her eyes were and the way her lips felt against his. He needed to try and clear his mind. Gendry checked to be sure Arya was still sleeping before he headed off into the trees, in an attempt to find some food.

The morning was silent the air hung heavy with dew, every step he took sounded as though it was echoing through the whole forest. He had been gone for almost an hour to no prevail of finding any food. With an empty stomach and an irritated attitude he made his way back to camp. He could see the horses in the distance, but he couldn`t see Arya. His heart dropped and his stomach turned to a bundle of knots. He was hurdling through the trees his legs numb but carrying him anyway.

"Arya! Arya!" Gendry scanned the opening for any sign of her but she was nowhere.

"Gendry!" Her voice came from somewhere in the direction they had come from the night before.

"Gendry go get out of here." He could see her now. The red woman had found them, one her men had his arms around Arya holding her arms to her sides her feet were dangling off the ground as she flailed, and tossed her head back smashing the man in the face with the back of her head. Gendry never slowed down, he ran straight toward the man not noticing anything around him.

"Gendry no! Stop go!"

Gendry was only feet away from the man now. Arya still kicking and screaming as he tried to drag her backward. When something hard struck Gendry in the middle of the back. He fell forward his face hitting the ground so hard he wasn`t sure what had made the cracking noise until he felt the blood running down into his mouth and the throbbing pain throughout his entire head. He could still hear Arya screaming his name, he could hear one of the men yelling at her to shut up, before the sound of someone`s fist or foot making contact with her and she fell silent.

Gendry pushed himself up off the ground only to feel the cold metal from a blade on the back of his neck.

"You`re lucky Lady Melisandra needs you boy, last man who tried to touch my horse got his arms chopped off." The man put a foot into Gendry`s side and rolled him over putting the blade of his sword to Gendry`s throat. Everything was blurry and his head was throbbing so badly it felt as though it would split in two, but somehow he managed to spit the blood from his mouth and call out to her.

"Arry! Arry!"

The man kicked Gendry in the side of the head instantly silencing him as more pain erupted. The man leaned down and spoke quietly into Gendry`s ear.

"We have her now, we might not be able to touch you but no one is gonna stop us from touching that little bitch of yours. Have you fucked her yet or do I get to be the one that breaks her in?"

Gendry`s body went numb he couldn`t breathe he wanted to kill this man he wanted to rip him limb from limb. All he could see was blurry shapes and colors of the things around him. But he spat in what he assumed was the man`s face and shoved him backward. Gendry rolled over again and was shakily getting to his feet when he hear Melisandra`s voice.

"Deric enough! You lay another hand on him and you will be the next volunteer sacrifice to burn. Help your brother with the girl we have wasted enough time as it is."

He was still on his hands and knees when he felt the soft fingers under his chin lifting his face to hers. Gendry`s face was covered in blood and his vision was still a little blurred but he could see her face, looking at him her eyes wide her hair tangling around her face.

"You shouldn`t have run boy." She let go of him and ordered one of the men to help him up.

A sack was put over Gendry`s head and his hands were tied together. He couldn`t hear Arya`s voice anymore and that terrified him.

"Arya!" His voice was muffled as he tried screaming for her there was no point in using her fake name now.

"Shut up you!" He was shoved forward the rope around his wrists pulled making him move forward.

"I`m fine Gendry!" Gendry felt his heart feel a little lighter. Until he heard skin strike skin and she was silent again.

Gendry knew he had to find a way to get to her but he was going to have to wait until he had a good chance at getting them both to safety and as of right now the chances of that were slim to none.


End file.
